Chapter Summaries

Shiraishi fled the underground passages with Nemu Kurotsuchi as the Shinigami closed in, while Oda Nobunaga carried Kichō through a desperate escape. After Oda was surrounded and nearly killed, a mysterious ally rescued him and blamed the discovery on an accident caused by Shiraishi.

• Shiraishi knocked Nemu Kurotsuchi unconscious, carried her away, and left Kichō and Oda Nobunaga behind as the Shinigami entered the tunnels.
• Oda Nobunaga carried Kichō out of the passages and ordered his guards to evacuate, while the fiery energy continued tormenting him.
• Oda Nobunaga and his men fled through the mountains as Shinigami pursued them with Kidō attacks, killing several of his followers.
• An 11th Division Shinigami ambushed Oda Nobunaga, and other Shinigami surrounded him after he struck down his attacker.
• A black-robed mysterious figure killed the surrounding Shinigami and rescued Oda Nobunaga, then denied leading the Shinigami to them and blamed the exposure on Shiraishi.

Aizen supplied Oda Nobunaga with medicine and confirmed their plan to find the snow lotus, while Nobunaga resolved to defeat Yamamoto and conquer Soul Society. After seven officers were killed, Soi Fon and Shunsui Kyōraku suspected Nobunaga was involved, and Kenpachi Zaraki arrived demanding to know where Shiraishi was.

• Aizen gave Oda Nobunaga medicine to suppress his flames and told him to wait until the end of May for the snow lotus to appear in the tax-collecting party.
• Oda Nobunaga recalled how Aizen had helped him escape the Seireitei three hundred years earlier, then declared that he would defeat Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto and conquer the three worlds.
• Oda Nobunaga set out with Kichō for West District 15 to meet Miyamoto and the others.
• Two Stealth Force members found seven dead officers, and Ogawa Jirō reported their deaths to Captain Soi Fon.
• Soi Fon and Shunsui Kyōraku determined that the killer was likely Oda Nobunaga, and Shunsui suspected Tsunayashiro Tokinada had helped him escape.
• Kenpachi Zaraki arrived in the forest and demanded to know where Shiraishi was hiding.

Shiraishi took Nemu to Junrinan in West District One, where she chose to return to Mayuri but agreed to explore the district with him. After they visited the lively South District, Shiraishi spotted Isane Kotetsu, who hurried away when he called to her.

• Shiraishi and Nemu surveyed Seireitei from Junrinan, and Nemu said she wanted to return to Lord Mayuri.
• Shiraishi persuaded Nemu to explore West District One and chose South District over North District.
• Shiraishi enjoyed the street performances, while Nemu described how she could modify the juggling monkey.
• Shiraishi suggested they visit North District instead, then spotted Isane Kotetsu in the crowd.
• Isane Kotetsu turned away and hurried off after Shiraishi called to her.

Shiraishi encountered Isane Kotetsu while she was buying medical supplies for the divisions hunting him, then persuaded her to treat him and joined her and Nemu Kurotsuchi on a food tour. After they ate their way halfway down the North District street, Shiraishi sensed he had been discovered and prepared to leave.

• Isane Kotetsu tried to avoid Shiraishi in Junrinan South District, but he stopped her and introduced her to Nemu Kurotsuchi.
• Nemu Kurotsuchi explained that Shiraishi had captured her after Mayuri Kurotsuchi tried to kill him using Rukongai residents as bombs.
• Shiraishi learned that Isane Kotetsu was the Third Seat of the Fourth Division and persuaded her to accompany him for treatment.
• Nemu Kurotsuchi and Isane Kotetsu joined Shiraishi in sampling food throughout the North District, despite Isane's reluctance to eat grilled meat.
• After the three ate their way halfway down the street, Shiraishi sensed he had been discovered and asked Nemu whether she would leave with him or return to the Twelfth Division.

Shiraishi challenged Nemu Kurotsuchi’s belief that she should return to Mayuri Kurotsuchi, and she chose to leave with him to seek a cure for her illness. After Soi Fon pursued Shiraishi, Mayuri confronted Isane Kotetsu over Nemu’s departure and insisted that only he could guide her evolution.

• Shiraishi explained Stockholm syndrome to Nemu Kurotsuchi, while Isane Kotetsu urged her to resist Mayuri Kurotsuchi’s abuse and offered the Shinigami Women's Association’s support.
• Nemu Kurotsuchi asked to accompany Shiraishi, hoping that curing her illness might allow her to evolve, and they left the soba shop together.
• Soi Fon returned to find Shiraishi gone, questioned Isane Kotetsu, and ordered her to report what had happened before pursuing him west.
• Mayuri Kurotsuchi called Isane Kotetsu and demanded to know why she had let Nemu leave; Isane defended Nemu’s right to choose, and Mayuri insisted that only he could guide her evolution.

Mayuri Kurotsuchi reflected on how Shiraishi had changed Nemu and was summoned to face Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto over the failed operation. Yamamoto approved Mayuri’s plan to track Shiraishi with modified hounds and ordered the divisions to suspend their pursuit while surveillance continued.

• Mayuri Kurotsuchi recalled that Nemu had shown no desires until Shiraishi’s influence changed her, and he resolved to discover how it happened.
• Mayuri went to the First Division barracks, where Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto reprimanded him, Kenpachi Zaraki, and Shunsui Kyōraku for failing to capture Shiraishi and losing men.
• Shunsui Kyōraku reported that the expedition had destroyed the Owari Group but failed to catch Oda Nobunaga, who escaped.
• Mayuri proposed modifying thirty thousand hounds to track Shiraishi, requiring thirty million in research funding and one or two months to produce results.
• Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto approved Mayuri’s plan and suspended the Second Division, Eighth Division, and 11th Division’s missions against Shiraishi, allowing only Projection Hall surveillance to continue.

Shiraishi and Nemu Kurotsuchi shared dinner while she learned how tone and expression could change the meaning of words. Shiraishi ended their lesson and planned to go to West District 15 the next day to meet Oda Nobunaga and Kichō, if they had avoided capture.

• Nemu Kurotsuchi cooked steaks, and Shiraishi praised how much her cooking had improved.
• Shiraishi wondered why the Shinigami had not pursued him, and Nemu explained that the Gotei 13 did not abandon its pursuit of criminals.
• Nemu tried to comfort Shiraishi by describing the experiments Lord Mayuri would conduct on him if he were captured, and Shira told her she was bad at comforting people.
• Nemu sat close to Shiraishi and asked how tone could change the meaning of words, prompting him to teach her about sarcasm and praise during dinner.
• Shiraishi stopped the lesson late at night and said they would go to West District 15 the next day to meet Oda Nobunaga and Kichō.

Oda Nobunaga prepared to seize the snow lotus and welcomed Shiraishi, Nemu Kurotsuchi, and Miyamoto Musashi to his mountain hideout. Their plans changed when Kenpachi Zaraki’s Reiatsu appeared near Ryūgetsu Castle, and Musashi agreed to face the coming threat.

• Oda Nobunaga woke as Ryūjin Jakka’s flames worsened and had Kichō bandage him before he prepared to lead the day’s operation.
• Shiraishi and Nemu Kurotsuchi arrived, and Oda Nobunaga told Shiraishi they would move once the rest of his men had gathered.
• Oda Nobunaga introduced the arriving Miyamoto Musashi to Shiraishi and praised Musashi’s Niten Ichi-ryū.
• Miyamoto Musashi sensed a deadly Reiatsu near Ryūgetsu Castle, and Oda Nobunaga recognized it as Kenpachi Zaraki’s.
• Oda Nobunaga asked Miyamoto Musashi if he was confident, and Musashi answered that he was.

Miyamoto Musashi sought to make his name by killing Kenpachi Zaraki, but Kenpachi tracked him down and the two began fighting. Musashi landed a near-fatal cut, and Kenpachi removed his eyepatch to continue the battle.

• Miyamoto Musashi became excited at the prospect of defeating Kenpachi Zaraki, while Oda Nobunaga ordered him to draw Kenpachi away so he could head to Ryūgetsu Castle.
• Kenpachi Zaraki detected the group using bells made by the Research and Development Institute and found Miyamoto Musashi in the woods.
• Kenpachi Zaraki sent Yachiru Kusajishi to watch from a distant hill and challenged Miyamoto Musashi to fight.
• Miyamoto Musashi used Niten Ichi-ryū to disrupt Kenpachi Zaraki's swing and cut his throat, but Kenpachi dodged the fatal strike.
• Kenpachi Zaraki dismissed Musashi's warning, removed his eyepatch, and prepared to continue fighting.

Shiraishi stayed hidden while Oda Nobunaga attacked Ryūgetsu Castle, fighting through its defenders to reach the snow lotus. Soi Fon ambushed and captured Oda Nobunaga before he could take it, revealing that the Shinigami were targeting someone behind him.

• Shiraishi suspected Oda Nobunaga might have betrayed him and chose to watch Ryūgetsu Castle from hiding.
• Oda Nobunaga smashed the castle gate and wounded Renji Abarai, while Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa were held back by their opponents.
• Ikkaku Madarame fought Minamoto no Yoshitsune as Oda Nobunaga entered the castle courtyard.
• Oda Nobunaga found the snow lotus inside a safe, but Soi Fon ambushed him, dislocated his shoulder, and took him prisoner.
• Soi Fon told Oda Nobunaga that the Shinigami wanted the person behind him, and Oda Nobunaga said they would be disappointed.

Shiraishi and Oda Nobunaga escaped with the stolen money after overpowering Soi Fon, who unleashed her Bankai to attack Shiraishi as he fled. The chapter left the result of her strike uncertain as a mushroom cloud rose over the mountain.

• Shiraishi ambushed Soi Fon, restrained her, and told Oda Nobunaga to take the money while leaving the antiques and paintings.
• Soi Fon bit Shiraishi, but he distracted her with a touch to her cheek, knocked her dizzy, and kicked the safe through the building.
• Shiraishi rode the airborne safe away while Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa saw it, and the 11th Division continued fighting Minamoto no Yoshitsune and Okita Sōji.
• Soi Fon recovered, saw Shiraishi fleeing, and unleashed her Bankai, Suzumebachi Raikōben, despite its recoil and limitations.
• Soi Fon fired Suzumebachi Raikōben toward the mountain, suffered severe recoil, and watched a mushroom cloud rise through the dust.

Shiraishi protected Oda Nobunaga, Kichō, and Nemu Kurotsuchi from Soi Fon’s Suzumebachi Raikōben, then explained that he wanted strength so he could live freely. After parting with Oda Nobunaga, Shiraishi and Nemu Kurotsuchi headed back to West District Ten with the safe.

• Shiraishi kicked the safe away, caught Suzumebachi Raikōben, and used Wind Wall to shield himself and the others from its explosion.
• Kichō saw the blast curve around their protected patch of ground, while Nemu Kurotsuchi asked Shiraishi how he liked her dango.
• After Wind Wall vanished, Shiraishi told Oda Nobunaga he wanted strength so he could act freely and do what he enjoyed.
• Oda Nobunaga declined Shiraishi’s offer to split the money and left with Kichō to prepare medicine for his burns.
• Shiraishi lifted the safe and set off with Nemu Kurotsuchi for West District Ten as the surrounding ground began to collapse.

Soi Fon assessed the aftermath of her Bankai attack and ordered a search for survivors while the other battles continued. Kenpachi Zaraki defeated Miyamoto Musashi and rushed toward Ryūgetsu Castle, hoping to find more opponents.

• Soi Fon wondered whether Shiraishi and Oda Nobunaga were connected to the person behind the escape, then ordered her forces to search the explosion site and capture Oda Nobunaga's subordinates alive.
• A Punishment Force member reported that two criminals were still fighting the 11th Division's Third Seat and Fifth Seat, while its Sixth Seat was seriously injured.
• Kenpachi Zaraki laughed as Miyamoto Musashi wounded him, and his battle strength continued to grow.
• Miyamoto Musashi used Niten Ichi-ryū: Soaring Dragon Flash to slash Zaraki's neck, but Zaraki survived and Musashi lost the will to fight.
• Musashi tried to attack Zaraki from behind, but Zaraki anticipated the trick and cleaved him and the surrounding landscape with one strike.
• Yachiru Kusajishi celebrated Zaraki's victory, and he ran toward Ryūgetsu Castle in search of another fight.

After the mission at Ryūgetsu Castle, Kenpachi Zaraki and Soi Fon reported their results to Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto. Yamamoto suspected Shiraishi and his allies were assembling a force of at least nine Captain-level fighters, and ordered the captains back to the Seireitei to prepare for war.

• Soi Fon blamed Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa for letting Minamoto no Yoshitsune escape after the Punishment Force interfered in their fights, and Kenpachi Zaraki rebuked her.
• Kenpachi Zaraki and Soi Fon reported to Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto; Soi Fon said Oda Nobunaga's body was missing, while Zaraki reported that he had killed Miyamoto Musashi.
• Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto ordered Soi Fon and Kenpachi Zaraki to rest in the Seireitei and await further orders.
• Yamamoto connected Shiraishi with Kūkaku Shiba, Yoruichi Shihōin, Oda Nobunaga, and several former captains, and feared they formed a rebel force of at least nine Captain-level members.
• Yamamoto ordered all division captains back to the Seireitei to guard their areas and summoned Tenth Division captain Isshin Shiba.

Gorō Ōishi delivered the Captain-Commander's summons to Isshin Shiba, who learned that the Stealth Force would investigate Kūkaku Shiba over alleged ties to Shiraishi. Yamamoto ordered the captains to remain in the Seireitei, but after spotting a delayed survivor-benefits application connected to a Shinigami in Naruki City, Isshin left for the World of the Living to investigate.

• Gorō Ōishi arrived at the Tenth Division barracks and found Tōshirō Hitsugaya handling the division's work until Isshin Shiba returned.
• Gorō Ōishi delivered the Captain-Commander's urgent summons, and Isshin went to meet Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto.
• Yamamoto told Isshin that reports linked Kūkaku Shiba to Shiraishi and said the Stealth Force would investigate her to clear her name.
• Yamamoto ordered all Gotei 13 captains to remain in the Seireitei because a major event might occur.
• Isshin noticed that the Central 46 Chambers had not approved survivor benefits for a Shinigami who died in Naruki City and suspected the World of the Living might be unattended.
• Isshin left for the World of the Living to investigate the Shinigami's death, despite Tōshirō Hitsugaya reminding him of Yamamoto's orders.

Isshin Shiba entered the World of the Living to investigate a suspected Hollow attack and was ambushed by White and a hidden Shinigami. Masaki Kurosaki defeated White, but Isshin was badly injured and lost consciousness as she found a sign directing her to take him somewhere.

• Isshin Shiba reached Naruki City and saw a Shinigami killed by the Hollow called White.
• A man at the Research and Development Institute identified White as the first Hollow created from a Shinigami soul, while a purple-haired man went to deal with Isshin.
• Isshin drew White away from the city, but a hidden Shinigami plunged him into darkness and wounded him before White struck him with a Cero.
• Masaki Kurosaki broke the darkness with a Heilig Pfeil and baited White into an attack, then shot it in the head.
• Isshin pulled White away as it began to explode, but the blast knocked him unconscious on a rooftop.
• Masaki found a wooden sign in the alley telling her to bring Isshin and follow it.

Kaname Tōsen reported White’s failure to Aizen, who became interested in the Quincy White had attacked and ordered them watched. Aizen shared a quiet moment eating watermelon with Momo Hinamori before an urgent clacking sound interrupted them.

• Kaname Tōsen grew angry that White’s Hollowfication experiment had failed after a Quincy killed it, while Gin Ichimaru teased him about reporting the failure to Aizen.
• Aizen explained that he had arranged to implicate Yoruichi Shihōin in Oda Nobunaga’s escape and expected the Tsunayashiro Clan to take action against Kūkaku Shiba.
• Tōsen told Aizen that White had attacked a Quincy instead of completing its intended transfer, and Aizen ordered surveillance of the Ishida family in Karakura Town.
• Momo Hinamori brought Aizen watermelons from her family’s farm, and he cut one for them to share.
• An urgent clacking sound echoed through the sky as Aizen and Hinamori ate.

Shiraishi and Nemu Kurotsuchi sheltered from the storm in a hidden cave, where Shiraishi celebrated their fortune and planned to repay his debts. When he delivered 150,000 to Kawakami Saburō, Kawakami begged him to leave, fearing punishment for remaining connected to him.

• Nemu Kurotsuchi opened a concealed cave in the cliff, and Shiraishi brought the safe inside.
• Shiraishi counted money to repay Kawakami Saburō and the Rice Village elder while Nemu prepared rice balls.
• After the rain stopped, Nemu left to buy ingredients, and Shiraishi delivered 30,000 to the Rice Village elder.
• Shiraishi went to the Kawakami Clan's residence and offered Kawakami Saburō 150,000.
• Kawakami Saburō refused the money and pleaded with Shiraishi to leave, fearing he would suffer the same fate as Kūkaku Shiba.

Shiraishi learned that Kūkaku Shiba had been arrested for conspiring against the Central 46 Chambers and faced thousands of years in Shin'ō Underground Great: The Jail. After bribing Kawakami Saburō for a way into the Seireitei, Shiraishi left to attempt a rescue.

• Kawakami Saburō revealed that Isshin Shiba had disappeared in the World of the Living and that Gin Ichimaru had been sent to arrest Kūkaku Shiba.
• Shiraishi paid Kawakami Saburō to learn Kūkaku Shiba's likely sentence and the tortures awaiting her in Howling.
• Kawakami Saburō explained that nobles were rarely sent to the prison, but the Shiba Clan's alleged betrayal could lead to Kūkaku's imprisonment and the clan's expulsion from the Five Great Noble Clans.
• Shiraishi asked how to enter the Seireitei, and Kawakami Saburō told him to hide in the Ōmaeda Gem Company's monthly ore shipment through Hakutōmon.
• Shiraishi left with a Steel Tempest, while Kawakami Saburō stayed behind counting and biting the gold bars.

Shiraishi resolved to rescue Kūkaku Shiba from the Shin'ō Underground Great: The Jail, despite knowing how dangerous it would be. After Nemu Kurotsuchi called him a friend and offered to help, he warned her that assisting him could make her an enemy of the Shinigami and separate her from Mayuri Kurotsuchi.

• Shiraishi returned to his hideout and struggled to devise a plan to rescue Kūkaku Shiba from the prison's fourth level.
• Nemu Kurotsuchi arrived with groceries and described how enthusiastic vendors had taught her new cooking methods while taking all her money.
• Shiraishi told Nemu Kurotsuchi about his plan, and she warned that breaking into the prison was nearly impossible and could get him killed.
• Shiraishi said he would take on the challenge because Kūkaku Shiba was his friend, then told Nemu Kurotsuchi that she was his friend too.
• Nemu Kurotsuchi offered to help, but Shiraishi warned that helping him could turn her against the Shinigami and keep her from returning to Mayuri Kurotsuchi.